Obese Calif. man's plea becomes YouTube sensation

SAN FRANCISCO - A morbidly obese California man whose tearful, videotaped plea for help became a YouTube sensation may be getting the support he wanted.

The "Dr. Phil" show reached out to Livermore resident Robert Gibbs, 23, after he posted his three-minute video last week.

Gibbs mentioned the program in his clip, which has been viewed more than a million times and inspired more than four dozen recorded responses from viewers offering diet tips and encouragement.

A crew from the "Dr. Phil" show was scheduled to come to his house and film him on Wednesday, Gibbs told The Associated Press.

On the YouTube video, which he made the day before his birthday last Friday, Gibbs did not specify what kind of help he needed - just that he hoped someone knowledgeable about weight loss would see it and get in touch with him.

He also said he feared he would not live long enough to see his nephew and niece grow up or to have a family of his own. He estimated his weight to be between 600 and 700 pounds,

"I'm making this video because I don't know what else to do," he said on the video. "For everyone who is just going to make fun of me I really don't care. It doesn't matter. This is my last chance, my last hope, one of them at least."

Gibbs declined to be interviewed by the AP because he said he had an exclusivity agreement with "Dr. Phil."

Along with suffering from diabetes, Gibbs has sores all over his body and cannot stand for more than a few minutes at a time, KCBS-TV said. He spends his days watching television.

Chris Powell, a fitness trainer on the reality show "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition," also has expressed interest in working with Gibbs along with former contestants from "The Biggest Loser."

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